Display Estimated Execution Time - Client Execution Time

  • I am currently learing about query optimization. Can someone tell me how to interpret within "Display Estimated Execution Time" the "Client Execution Time". I just processed a simple query and the Client Execution Time was quoted at 16:50:30. I was concerned that it meant that my query would take 16 Hours, 50 Minutes and 30 Seconds. Though I haved searched for a while trying to find the interpretation, I finally decided to just run the query and see how long it took. The query took 3 minutes and 4 seconds. Now I am really confused. Can someone interpret this into English for me?

  • Through further research I have found that the time represented by the "Client Execution Time" is the time in which the "Display Estimated Execution Plan" is ran. It is not any estimate of the amount of time in which it would take to execute the query.

    So with all of that said, does anyone know how to find an estimated execution time for a query before it is actually ran for the first time?

  • To the best of my knowledge, no such tool exists. Certainly, not an accurate one. Even the actual execution plan is frequently wrong when comparing things such as % of Batch.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Client Execution Time is the time you ran the query.

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply